A Journey into Thought & Spirit

There are no words to express the beauty of the spring and summer season in Seattle. It's my favorite time of the year. And May is one of my favorite months that blossoms with memories of summers at college, living in Australia,backpacking India and studying the budding flower petals.

My soul is yearning for another journey. It's hard to stay put in one place. And that journey will take place June 8th as I leave Seattle for another trip to Europe. This time I will spend more time in southern Spain.

“In the Balkans the peasants say that if you long for faraway countries and leave your own land and home to find them, you are born under A LILAC-BLEEDING STAR.” ― Lesley Blanch

Lilacs are one of my favorite flowers. And I found this old German bowl at an estate sale in Queen Anne. I loved the bowl so much that I knew once lilac season arrived, I would need to make something special this year. Lilac is edible and has some interesting medicinal properties.

A post shared by Elizabeth Kovar (@erkovar) on May 23, 2017 at 11:10am PDT

According to flowersociety.org, lilacs helps one to align one's spirit and nourish it with positive thoughts. As stated on their site, "Used to put straight and unblock not only the spine, the head and the energy that circulates through them, but also to align one´s spirit and nourish it with positive thoughts removing grief, oppression and fright that comes from long ago, perhaps from childhood. A feeling of dis-ease, lack of safety, or a sense of holding back the true self often shows up as rigidity or pain in the spine."

Lilacs are a high vibration plant. Smell the petals. Touch the leaves. Meditate under under a lilac tree. Everything from nature is a part of us and if you need healing, the lilac can help. Just one sniff of the lilac bush and it restores your faith in humanity.

Mix the dry ingredients and sugar in a bowl. With a fork or pastry cutter, cut the cream cheese into the flour mixture until crumbly. Fold the lilac blossoms into the bowl.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour, 1/2 cup of the milk and fold the dry ingredients into the wet. Now, this depends on your GF flour, but from here add in 1 tbsp at a time of milk, according to the ingredient list above. I had to use all of the milk to get a dough to form.

Once the dough forms, roll the dough into a ball on a floured surface. Flatten the dough and then cut, like a pizza, six slices. If dry, brush some milk on top of the scones. From here sprinkle lilac, or cane, sugar on top.

Place the scones on a pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

I've reached a certain point in my spiritual journey where my views on the world have shifted. Things that I've taken for granted before, or used to bash, no longer serve a purpose in my life.

No matter how politically charged or upset one gets about our government, we must consider that many innocent or warrior souls sign up to do our dirty work. They do it in the name of patriotism because they want to serve, protect and conserve the freedom of our country. They give up their homes, they move away from their family and they know the possible risk for PTSD.

So when we wake up and drink a latte or have wine with our friends while snapping selfies with our iPhones, somewhere across the world, someone is putting their soul on the line.

​Gratitude is the basic, fundamental root of spirituality, and on a weekend like this, it's time express some thanks to the people who served for our freedom.

Happy Memorial Day weekend.

As always, inspired by the sun,
Elizabeth

Join Mind Body Soul Food Every Sunday for some inspiration, or Sunspiration, where we analyze quotes and sweet nothings in 150 words or less. Get inspired everyday with our Instagram account, sunspiration_everyday with inspirational quotes, motivational messages & sweet nothings.

​As the world becomes more chaotic, I’ve been thinking, “Can kindness be a weakness?” If you asked me five to 10 years ago, I would’ve said, “kindness is a strength, not a weakness.”

I’ve been a student of many spiritual practices, from studying yoga in India to becoming a Reiki practitioner, all of which preach peace, love and humanity. Even those who bash Christianity, and think it’s the worst thing on the planet, may not realize that compassion is one of the biggest qualities about, and taught by, Christ. Through egotism and poor leadership, the energy, spirit and warmth of Christianity was corrupted.

In fact, if you look at a picture of Jesus, he looks like a warm-hearted hippie, who wore a flowing white gown, accompanied by some Birkenstocks, beautiful brown hair and a hipster-looking beard.

But I digress.

Most spiritual practices preach kindness. I believe this is how we are naturally created. We are born kind-hearted and taught hatred. Now there are always exceptions to generalizations, but when looking through the lens of a child’s life, most have an innocent view of the world.

Curious, I searched the inter-webs to see what people think about kindness as a weakness. I couldn’t really find much besides, “kindness is a strength, not a weakness,” and “my boss saw my kindness as a weakness.”

So, if you ask me today if I think that kindness CAN be a weakness, I will say yes.

Why is that?

I believe in the power of the stars, and humanity has entered a new dimension and reality. This new age will bring on new enemies, new war, new conflicts and more struggles than we’ve faced in a long time (this lens is coming from an American point of view, where our European ancestors have suffered greatly pre 1989.)

I believe in the early millennial life was stable minus 9/11 and some government corruption. Today, corruption is at an all-time high and our governments are bloated with neo-libs and neo-cons who want to push the globalist agenda to take over the planet. Our media is trash and people’s minds are polluted. Everyone is getting greedy and even spiritual, yoga and vegan businesses are part of this corrupt society.

As a younger female, I was never weak, spiritually strong, but I desired to be liked. Most people, myself at one point in my life included, who haven’t detached from their ego or have a secret desire for external praise, wants to be liked. It’s a natural human instinct and there is nothing wrong with that per say.

However, since we are entering a new age / era, I believe there are many wolves hiding in sheep's clothing. I believe those with bad intentions take advantage of good people because they know they are kind, generous and compassionate. And some of the most vulnerable today are the spiritual and liberal groups.

People who are of the light can attract the dark. Darkness needs energy to grow. And the dark will prey on the light, and keep preying until those people are energetically or spiritually drained. Why do you think orcas prey on baby humpback and grey whales? Because they are tiny and cannot defend themselves.

I understand this mentality because I experienced these problems. During my maturity, I found myself sometimes in bad situations, or ignored my instinct, because I wanted to be kind, or didn’t want to be rude because of cultural perceptions.

Being Too Kind Can Drain Your Energy When You Are Kind to Everyone but Yourself
I see this with a lot with women who are good, kind-hearted people and are monetarily poor. Many of these people give, give, give and give until they are so exhausted that they are emotionally or spiritually depleted. They rarely are, or are not open to receiving because something deep down makes them feels unworthy. These women need to stop expending kindness to everyone and treat their inner world with their kindness.Something inside of them is lacking or they want people to feel happy.
We also see this with young girls who are not ready for sex, but go against their instincts and do it because they hope that the guy will like them. Everyone likes a kind girl right? Yes, but things are different with raging hormonal teenagers. You shouldn't do something that your instincts or intuition is telling you "no," "leave," or "get away."

It's not a bad thing to put yourself first, choose yourself or place personal boundaries. It strengthens our inner-world and character. In fact, many spiritual people I know won't let anyone touch their energy field, say in a Reiki circle. So if they have boundaries on their energy fields, a bleeding heart also needs a boundary.

Money is Energy & Greedy People Want Your Energy
Another friend of mine who is a devout Christian once had this roommate who complained of being bored. As a kind Christian, he bought this roommate a coffee, which led to a TV, which lead to cable and more. Do you see the snowball effect? He finally realized that the roommate took advantage of his kindness.

As a kid, I learned at an early age that loaning money is a big mistake, unless it’s someone you really trust like your family member. My dad’s friend was in need of some cash, again. My father loaned him some money, as he had some life issues, and eventually he disappeared and changed his identity.

A friend in need is a friend indeed.

We all want to help people but there must be a personal boundary that we put on our personal resources or spirit. There is a difference between a donation, lending money to a homeless person or donating to charity.

Today, we need to be biologically more instinctual now more than ever. On Youtube there are many fake gurus, who claim they are spiritually sound but just want to push their products. People will believe in their buzz-word ads and false promises, and once again naive, or kind people, who believe that the world is like them, gets caught into a cyclical mess or false hopes. Even in the most liberal city, New York City, a vegan restauranteur, were wanted for theft and tax fraud, of which their restaurant has been rated as one of the best in the city. There are corrupt people in the so called "good" businesses.

Kindness Can Be a Blindness & Block Your Survival Instincts
We’ve entered a new reality and the world is experiencing an increase in crimes. Kindness can block our instincts or inhibit survival through chronic naivety. In September 2016, pressure cooker bombs were found in the Chelsea neighborhood in NYC. I watched a video of this old “grandma” who found the bomb and innocently said, “I thought it was a kid’s high school science experiment.” The red flag or skepticism didn't register.

I lived in Germany for 1.5 years and this country was once a peaceful and quiet nation. Today, terrorism is on the rise. I watched a video of the axe terrorist in Dusseldorf. Someone filmed the video from a train who signaled an emergency response. The terrorist got off the train, with an axe in hand, and the Germans stood there just leisurely strolled a crossed the platform. Since they are not used to extreme crimes, their survival instincts are turned off, still living in "la la land." I've had many disagreements with Germans because they claim "Americans are fearful," but they do not realize that Americans have dealt with countless, heartless crimes including elementary school shootings. We are a bit more pragmatic and realistic that bad people want to harm innocent people.

I listened to a financial podcast the other day where a woman called in asking for financial advice. Her husband rekindled his spirits with an ex-girlfriend, and by the way, the woman's voice on the phone sounded like an angel. She sounded like a good-hearted person. Her husband was doing "sleep overs" at the ex-girlfriends house, though told his wife that "nothing sexual is happening." In the back of this woman's head, she knew she was being cheated on, but had this blind faith that he was being honest. Even the podcast host told her that adults do not do sleepovers with people of the opposite sex. Her kindness was blinding her from the reality that her husband thinks she's "dumb enough," or whatever insults to her intelligence, to believe in this story.

I teared listening to this story because you can hear the love in this woman's voice. She was being energetically, emotionally and spiritually abused, in my opinion.

Most of us, who live a normal life, do not expect the worst from human beings. We assume that the bubble we live in has the same type of people and energy. Like attracts like, right? Yes, but light is the energy that dark needs in order to grow.

Sadly, dark energy is out there and it’s gaining power. Now many people can say, “Oh Elizabeth you’re instilling fear.” Well, I am one of the most spiritual individuals I know, and there is a difference between the fear of moving abroad or writing a book versus being killed by a terrorist.

If wild animals didn’t have fear or survival instincts, they would allow the predator kill them without a chase. They would just stand there, get mauled and eaten alive.

There must be a balance with kindness and giving and receiving. Some of the kindest people chronically give and share (some who are too proud to take anything to show their “strength”). Some of the world’s greediest people always take and never give. We should be kind and help thy neighbor, but not be so naive that we are an exception to the world's cruelty.

Right now, the world can use more kindness, but let’s not be so blind to where life, or people, stabs us in the back.

My "inspired by nature," lifestyle takes lessons from nature and connects them to human behaviors.

The roses are blooming. The lilacs have budded. The sun shines above the Puget Sound and the air is warm but crisp. The summer weather has finally arrived and I can feel the vibrant energy swirling into the air.

Inspired by nature, I decided to make some sweet treats with lilac flowers this week. The simplest recipe being lilac sugar, which is a nice way to sweeten and flavor green tea.

A post shared by Elizabeth Kovar (@erkovar) on May 13, 2017 at 2:33pm PDT

Last year I posted on "How to Make Rose Sugar" and these recipes are simple. I use a 1:1 flower and sugar ratio, and then blend them together in a coffee grinder. It's that simple. The hardest part is waiting for the blossoms to dry. It is important to wash the petals and it can take a while for the blossoms to dry.

Lilacs are like perfume. Everything looks and smells so beautiful, it's hard not to stop and smell the flowers. Enjoy the beauty of these culinary treats and stay tuned for this week's post on Vegan Lilac Cream Cheese Scones.

Directions:
Place the rose sugar and petals in a coffee grinder, or a smaller food processor. Blend until smooth and the petals are mixed into the sugar. It is important that the petals are dry to avoid sticky sugar clumps.

I love Instagram because photography is one of my hobbies. Some food bloggers have beautiful pages with perfect photos, with shadow-free, white backgrounds. I spoke with a Reiki friend and expressed how sometimes I get down on myself because I do not do massive photo manipulation, but the ones that do have some 250,000 followers.

I said, "The photos are beautiful, but so white that it sometimes hurts my eyes. There literally are no shadows."

The lightbulb struck since our conversation revolved around the shadow aspects of our world, life and personality. We all have a shadow. And this perfect life shown on social media can hinder even the strongest minded people.

I spoke with a different friend last night who said he quit social media in 2014 because he underwent a difficult period and all he saw was how "awesome" people's lives are. I believe social media is this "perfect" world that does not represent the real world. Our imaginations blind us to the reality of the real world, thanks to social media.

As always, inspired by the sun, Elizabeth

Join Mind Body Soul Food Every Sunday for some inspiration, or Sunspiration, where we analyze quotes and sweet nothings in 150 words or less. Get inspired everyday with our Instagram account, sunspiration_everyday with inspirational quotes, motivational messages & sweet nothings.

I am excited to announce that I will be attending the 2017 IDEA Fitness World Convention Blog Fest.

Will I see you there?

I am entering my tenth year of working in the fitness industry and though there have been many changes, I am excited to continue my writing adventures at this conference. Whether you're a fellow fitness professional, marketing professional, product developer or health educator, I'd like to meet you, even if its a brief introduction.

I have written and represented, and written for, various brands in the past - the American Council on Exercise, BOSU, Precor - and more! Click here to discover more about me and my portfolio. I look forward to meeting you.

Smoothie season is almost here. Summer is the season where we crave smoothies more often due to its cooling and easy-to-digest effect.

As a personal trainer and health coach, I’ve seen how the smoothie industry corrupted the mixed fruit beverage. With it’s clever marketing tactics and special “fat boosting” tablets, the public has been misinformed about smoothies. Today, smoothies are trendy and “cool” thanks to its odd flavor combinations. Move away basic banana, strawberry and whey; chickpeas, oats and chia seeds are the new protein boosters in town.

What are some of the problems with smoothies sold today? They contain mystery ingredients, sold in super-sized cups, and can spike blood sugar thanks to its higher sugar content. This blog guides you to what you need to know about smoothie ingredients, portion sizes, fruit used and liquids used.

Portion Sizes: Should smoothies be a meal replacement?
Smoothies are healthy, until they become the next super-size me meal for hipsters and surfers. It is common for smoothie shops to sell 16, 24, 32 and even 44-ounce smoothies that contain the same amount of calories as a traditional meal, or even a fast food meal! Many people have good intentions, but fail to realize that gigantic smoothies will probably cause you to eat more calories during the day.

In my opinion, smoothies should not replace a meal and should contain ingredients that you can eat from its whole food state.

Why?

First we have to under the role of digestion. Any food broken down from its whole food state is “predigested food.” This means the digestive system doesn’t have to work as hard to break down the food because it’s already broken down. This goes for anything that is chopped, pureed, blended and cooked.

Some companies mask bigger portion sizes with ice cubes, but generally, the bigger the smoothie the more ingredients. So in order to fill you up, specifically long term, you need to consume more of it. Like a pureed soup (think of a creamy tomato or cream of asparagus), if you eat a bowl, most like you’ll still be hungry. Smoothies are satiating on a short-term basis. So if you consume 700 calories with 70 grams of sugar (from milk/juice and fruit) it’s too much sugar (even though its natural) on the system, especially if you order the smoothie with solid food.

Gulping down 24 and 32 ounce smoothies are too much on the system in one setting. Some companies sell 44 ounces!

You need to ask yourself, “Can I consume the smoothie ingredients in its whole food state in one meal?” Most likely, it will be a no. I recommend 8-12 ounce smoothies because it serves its nutritional value.

For those who are on the go and eat a smoothie as a meal replacement, choose a smoothie with some protein in it to satiate the body until you can eat again.

Planet Smoothie 44 oz nutrition label

Mystery Ingredients
Food corruption is one of the biggest battles in today’s society. Unless you cook for yourself using whole foods, it is impossible to know what is in your food.

Frozen foods like ice cream contain emulsifiers, which makes it melt perfectly. The science of smoothies contains mystery ingredients either for texture, taste or “nutritional value.”

The above nutrition labels are from the Pacific Northwest chain, Emerald City smoothie. Although the labels say “whey protein,” what exactly is in the protein powder? Many protein powders contain artificial sweeteners, flavors and preservatives. Look at the nutty banana nutritional label. What exactly is flavor? Is it artificial flavor? Sugary syrup? What is it?

Store bought smoothies like NAKED and Bolt are no better. The question that no consumer asks is, “how does the strawberry smoothie stay so pink?” If you’ve ever cut your own fruit, or juiced at home, the fruit / juice browns within 30 minutes. If its too pink, there must be a mystery ingredient to keep its shelf life. Plus, any "protein powder" smoothie doesn't really stay as smooth and thin when sitting on the shelf for a while at home compared to mainstream "vanilla chai smoothie" bottles.

Have you ever tasted an avocado smoothie from a store but when you got home and made it yourself it tasted bland? It’s because these companies use stevia or a sweetener/syrup to make it palatable.

Smoothies are one food made “bad.” And it is best to control what goes into the blender by making it yourself. Many companies are owned, operated and corrupted by behemoths like Pepsi Co. & Kellogg's.

Using Juice as the Liquid Base – A Smoothie No No
Juice, like mentioned above, is the broken down, liquid remains from the fruit or vegetable’s whole food state. The body easily digests and absorbs juice. And since a smoothie is easy to digest, the body ingests too much sugar in on sitting, even though it originates from fruit. When that much sugar hits the system, the body cannot tell the difference between a soda pop or an orange-mango smoothie. To get one cup of orange juice, it is possible to juice up to four oranges. Can you eat four oranges in one meal?

Plus, since a smoothie is a liquid, there is not much saliva produced, which contains enzymes to break down the food.

I recommend using an unsweetened plant-based milk as the liquid base. If you use a fruit juice base, make sure the portion size stays under 12 ounces. Every now and then using fruit juice is okay, but long-term juice consumption has been linked to Type 2 Diabetes. I recommend squeezing your own juice, if possible.

It is better to eat the fruit in its natural state or use milk (preferably plant-based) as the base. Another alternative is to use water.

Mind Body Soul Food's homemade smoothie = 8 ounces

Tips for Making Smoothies
-Keep portion sizes "normal" meaning 8-12 ounces
-Recommend plant-based milk or water as the liquid base
-Use Enough Ingredients that you think you can actually eat from the whole food state
-For thicker smoothies, freeze fresh fruit and then use it in a blender
-Consume the smoothie and once you obtain your next hunger pang, incorporate solid foods

​About the AuthorElizabeth Rae Kovar M.A. is an award-winning plant-based fitness trainer and health coach. She is a Master Trainer presenter for BOSU & the American Council on Exercise (ACE). Kovar is also an ACE Subject Matter Expert in Fitness Nutrition. Elizabeth has studied yoga in 7 different countries and is author of Finding Om: An Indian Journey of Rickshaws, Chai, Chapattis and Gurus. Kovar is the first Stuart R. Givens Fellowship co-recipient, 2014 Shape.com's "Top 50 Hottest Trainers in America" and "PFP Media Personal Trainer of the Month - November 2016."

If life has blessed me with one thing, it's that of unconditional, motherly love from my mom, grandmother, great grandmothers and aunts. On my mom's side of the family, most women were not financially abundant, but abundant with love, community, tradition and family.

​One of the most purest forms of love is that of what a mother has for her children. No matter how mad my mother and I get to each other, she is always accepting and extends her love even when we disagree. No matter what my mom's job title is, I know her life path is meant to spread her motherly love to her children and the planet.

Sadly, many are born into situations where their mothers are cold and cruel. No matter how logical and rational we can be, there is something so deep and spiritual about a mother's love, which is why God created moms. Even in nature, if there is one animal you don't want to piss off, it's the mama bear. She will do anything and everything to protect her cubs.

​As always, inspired by the sun, Elizabeth

Join Mind Body Soul Food Every Sunday for some inspiration, or Sunspiration, where we analyze quotes and sweet nothings in 150 Words or Less. Get inspired everyday with our Instagram account, sunspiration_everyday with inspirational quotes, motivational messages & sweet nothings.

The cherry trees have come and gone, but that does not mean the inspiration from these tree have passed. Cherry blossom season is my favorite time of year. An early spring tree signifies that life is in bloom. I am posting this blog late, but nevertheless, it's an easy recipe that will be of much use once cherry season arrives in a few weeks.

I decided to use frozen dark cherries so that the smoothie matches the deep red leaves.

Today people replace meals with smoothies. I am going to write a separate blog about the anatomy of a smoothie, but many people do not realize that anything chopped, blended, pureed or liquified from its whole food state, is easier to digest. The food is already pre-digested so that the digestive system doesn't have to work as hard.

When people gulp down super-sized smoothies, they may feel hungry in an hour. It's because there is no bulk that forces the digestive tract to "work" harder.

Any smoothie I make on Mind Body Soul Food serves either one or two people. When gulping down a giant smoothie, you have to ask yourself, "Can I eat all of this food in its whole food state in one sitting?"

​I do not think smoothies should replace meals. I find smoothies work best as a snack or for breakfast to satiate the body short term before consuming heavier foods. More on that later. For now, enjoy this sweet "treat," inspired by nature.

The pilates ball is an effective training tool because it promotes core stabilization by adding resistance, which forces exercisers to activate their pelvic floor muscles. Additionally, the ball acts as an unstable surface, which promotes deeper core stabilization.

The following exercises require activating, or “hollowing out,” the pelvic floor. The feeling is similar to a Kegel exercise or stopping the flow of urine. When lying down, draw the pelvic muscles up and the navel inward toward the spine. Maintain this position while breathing. The exercises can be added into any fitness routine or performed in sequential order. It is best to perform the exercises at a slower pace, which challenges the deep layers of the core. When performed correctly, six to eight repetitions in total or on each side is sufficient.

Author

Elizabeth Rae Kovar M.A. is Author of her memoir, Finding Om and is a Fitness Trainer, Yogi, Reiki Master, Presenter and Lover of Life. To view her portfolio please visit www.elizabethkovar.comFollow her travels at: lemontreetravel.com